December 2019

Creativity abounds in the nonprofit world. Here are eight profiles of inspiring leaders who are forging a new path for the future.

Mark Edwards made the connection between economic mobility and unplanned pregnancies by listening to stories of people struggling financially.

Emmanuel Pratt’s work combines urban farming, construction, aquaponics, and the arts.

John Esterle and Pia Infante champion an approach to grant making that give grantees more power in decision making. A growing number of foundations are taking notice.

Vu Le challenges the status quo, both in his nonprofit blog, Nonprofit AF, and as executive director of the Rainier Valley Corps.

The Full Cost Project brings nonprofit leaders and grant makers together to learn and have frank discussions about the money needed to get results.

Community Renewal International works to connect residents to improve life in blighted neighborhoods. The group has helped reduce crime rates, but attracting money to expand is a struggle.

Veteran nonprofit leader Ellen Baxter champions the notion of bringing creativity and access to quality education to people living in low-income housing.

Chanda Smith Baker runs a series of events that bring residents together to discuss difficult issues like police brutality, white supremacy, and the criminal-justice system.

“You know, random acts of violence never crossed my mind,” says one leader, but the times have changed. Community foundations are exploring ways to raise money and get it where it needs to go, fast.

A rise in gun violence and a history of segregation are top of mind for grant making boards, leading to a new push on diversity that has brought about big changes in CEOs’ offices.

Community Foundations in areas prone to hurricanes and wildfires are well-practiced in disaster response. As the number of mass shootings continues to grow, some are preparing for a different kind of crisis.

Humanity United and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation have new top leaders.

At Work to Ride, students learn how to care for horses, forming bonds with the horses and other students along the way. Some go on to compete in horse shows or play for the center’s polo team.

Better work-life balance and a better donor experience are two of the benefits.

A new tool has already raised $1.6 million on the social-network site for the Pan Mass Challenge, a big jump from the $51,000 collected last year to aid Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Tighten governance rules for foundations run by living donors, double the amount foundations must give, and pour more endowment money into investments that advance the grant maker’s mission.

Systems change can take a decade or longer. So why do foundations keep making one- or two-year grants and focusing on holistic solutions?

Don’t tell us to use telemedicine where broadband doesn’t work or encourage us to use bicycles in our mountainous region. And we have small budgets that make metrics a problem.

The advocacy group’s development director says donations to the ACLU’s advocacy arm should count just as much as gifts to its charitable unit, especially because a measure of generosity can be seen in the willingness to forgo a tax break.